Filling valve for sirupers



Sept. 20, 1932. T. MCGHEE FILLING VALVE FOR SIRUPERS Filed June 14. 1926INVENTOR. WW QWcJfica d, f ram A TTORNEYS.

. Patented Sept. 20,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE] A TI-IUBMAN MGGHEE, or HAYWARD,CALIFORNIA,.ASSIGNOR "ro 'srnAGUE-snLLs 003- I J ronA'rioii,onnoornsron, runners; A CORPORATION on DELAWARE FILLING VALVE r03smnrnns Application filed J'une .14,

This invention relates to a filling'valve for sirupers, and particularlyto that type which employs a displacement member, or the'like todetermine the volume of sirup delivered to the cans. f V

In adapting a valve of this character to siruping machines, it has beenfoundthat a displacement member of pre-determined capacity will work toperfection with'certain varieties of fruits, for instance: With halvedpeaches, pears and the like, becausethe relatively large spaces formedbetween the fruit permits ready permeation of the sirup through themass. 7 J

The same valve, when applied to other fruits, such as cherries,raspberries, sliced fruits, etc., will not work as well as therelatively smaller fruits pack closer, thus retarding permeation, withthe result that the proper amount of sirup is not supplied. To overcomethis difficulty, interchangeable and adjustabledisplacement members andother devices have been employed, and while they work satisfactorily,the main 1 objection is the time required to make the change.

e In the canning industry, time is the important factor. Severalvarieties of fruit are often run through a siruping machine during adays run, and changes or adjustments, which require time, are therefore,seldom bothered with, with the result that the cans are not properlyfilled. The object of the present invention is to generally improveandsimplify the construc- 3 tion and operation of valves of thischaracter, and particularly to provide a valve which may operate on allvarietiesof fruit without changing or adjusting the displacement memher,or otherwise. I m m The invention, briefly stated, consists in providingan adjustable spill-back device, whereby a final sirup level in the canmay be obtained, regardless of the character or size of the fruithandled, and further to provide a spill-back device which may be quicklyand readily adjusted, so that changes" may be made during the days runwithout any appreciable loss'of time. 7

5o 7 The invention is shown by way of'illu'stra 1e25, Serial No.115,776. tion in the accompanying drawing, in whichv Figure 1' 1s acentral, vertical section through the valve. 7 V

.Figure 2 is a similar section,showing the Venting tube in raisedposition. t Iflfigure 3 shows a modified form of venting The spill-backdevices forming thesubect matter of the present application, may

be applied to a number of types of filling valves, for instance: Thetype already referred to, which employs a displacement member and itmayalsolbe applied to other types,for instance: The type shownin myco-pending application, entitled, Filling valve, filedMay 19, 1923,Serial Number 626,110, which employs a venting member to determine thefinal liquid level in'the can.

1 In the present instance, I have shown the spill back device applied tothe type of fillmg valve illustrated in another co-pending application,entitled, Filling valve,.filed December 15, 1924, Serial Number 755,856,and

asthe'valve structure disclosed in that applicatlon is substantiallyidentical with the present application, a brief description of the valvestructure is thought suflicient.

Referring to Figure 1, A indicates a tank adapted to contain sirup.Formed in the bottom of the tank is a circular opening, 2, 1n whlchlisinserted afcylin'dershaped casing, 3, the casing being secured to thebottom of the tank by means of screws or bolts, such as is indicated-at4." Slidably mounted in the casing, 3,is a cylinder-shaped sleeve valve,5.

Tforfned on the upper endthereof, and on the interior surface 1s anannular flange, 6, and a second annular flange, 7 ;'formed on the lowerend ofthe sleeve is a large exterior flange, 8, and formed therein is agroove 9 for the reception ofa. displacement member, generally indicatedat B. v A 1 The displacement; member is preferably constructed ofrubber,or alikeresilient ma-. terial.- It is cored out as indicated at 10, andit is extended to.form annular gaskets, or valve seat members, such asis shown at 12 and 18. Thegasket portion, 12, beingin-.

sertible in an annular groove, 9, and the gasket portion, 13, isinsertible in the annular groove formed by the flanges, 6 and 7. Thecasing, 3, which extends upwardly into the tank, A, consists of aspider-like structure, having arms, 14;, which terminate in aheadmember, 15. This head-member forms a support for a tubular, centralmember, 16, the upper end of which is internally threaded as at 17, toreceive an adjustableventing tube, 18. The lower end of the tubularmember terminates in a head, 20, which carries an upwardly projectingannular valve seat-21. A spring, 22, is interposed between theheadmember, 15, and the annular flange, '6, and this spring serves thefunction of depressing the sleeve valve, 5, so that the gasket, 13, willengage the valve seat member, 21, and thereby close the flow of sirupfrom the tank to, the can.

' It might here be stated that the cans to be filled with sirup arefirst filled with fruit. They are then delivered to the sirupingmachine, which usually carries six or more valves of the type shown in-Figure 1, The cans are automatically fed into a siruping machine, andare placed in alignment with the filling valves. Plungers, not hereillustrated, engage the lower ends of the cans, when they have beenplaced in alignment with the valves, and these plungers raise the cansvertically into engagement with the gaskets, 12, so that the upper endsof the cans are sealed, and they then raise the sleeve valves asufficient distance to clear the gaskets,,13, with relation to the valveseat members, 21. The sirup from the tank then flows inwardly betweenthe arms, 14 to the casing. The sirup, thus entering, passes downwardlyin the direction of the arrow, a; then flows upwardly and downwardlybetween the flanges, and 21, as indicated by arrow, Z), and as such,finally enters the can. The sirup, thus, entering fills thecancompletely. The displaced, during the filling operation, escapesthrough a main venting passage, 25, formed in the head-member, 20, andit also escapes through venting passages, communicating therewith, asindicated by 26.

When the can is completely filled, the sirup raises upward in theventing passage, 25, and tube 18, until it reaches the level of sirup inthe tank. At this time, the plunger, which supports the can, is lowered;the

' sleeve valve, 5, is also lowered due to the pressure ofthe spring, 22,and the gasket, 13, will then engage the valve seat member, 21, andshutoff a further supply of sirup to the can. A further downwardmovement frees the can with relation to the sealing gasket, 12, and'itis then removed from the siruping machine The moment the can is loweredwith relation to the sealing gasket, 12, air. is admitted and the,liquid contained in thefventing passage isthus free to fall downward, ordrain back into the can, thus adding an additional quantity of sirup.This additional supply of sirup is necessary, when handling certainvarieties of fruit, as

permeation of the sirup during the filling to raise or lower the ventingtube inthe thread connection, shown at 17. WVhen the venting tubeassumes the lowermost position, shown in Figure 1, the quantity ofadditional liquid delivered to the can is the smallest; if a greaterquantity is desired, the tube'is raised and the quantity of spillback,or additional liquid is increased. It

will be noted that the tubular member, 16, has an enlarged chamber, 30,formed therein. This chamber materially increases the quantity ofspill-back liquid supply, for in stance: If the venting tube is raisedto the position shown in Figure 2, it will be noted that the spill-backliquid raises in the chamber 30,a slight distance above the end of theventing tube, but no further, as air is trapped above the'liquid, andprevents it 1 from raising any further. The liquidwill raise in theventing tube proper, but the total quantity added is the amount, whichis collected in the chamber 30.

This may be increased, or decreased by raising or lowering the ventingtube, and practically any quantity of liquid may thus be supplied. Theonly'adjustment that is required is thenut, 18, at the upper end of theventing tube, This is'placed in an accessible position, and may bequickly turned to adjust the quantity of spill-back liquid, without anymaterial loss of time, on the part of the operator.

The displacement head, B, is designed to f determine the final liquidlevel, when fruits, such as halved peaches, apricots, pears, or a likeare being run through the siruper, but when small fruits are passingthrough the machine, it is only necessary toadjust the venting tube, 18,and the final liquid level can then be determined, by the quantity ofspill-back sirup, supplied by the spill-back attachment.

The spill-back attachment is equally ap 5 plicable, whether adisplacement member or a venting tube. is employed to determine thefinal liquid level. V 7

It should, therefore, be understood that the invention. isnot limited tovalves employing displacement members only, as other types of valves mayalso be employed.

In Figures 1 and 2, an adjustable Venting tube is shown.

In Figure 3, a modified form of venting tube, is illustrated, that'is, amachine can be equipped with a number of sets of venting tubes, thesetubes being of different lengths, for instance: Pears, peaches and thelike, may require one length of tube, and sliced peaches and the like,may require another length of tube, and cherries, blackberries and thelike may require another length tube, and so on; accordingly, whenchanging from one variety of fruit to another, it is only necessary forthe operator to remove one set of venting tubes, and insert another set.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. A cam filling valve for sirupers comprising a movabledisplacement member adapted to enter a can to determine a liquid leveltherein, a complementary head member forming a discharge opening throughwhich liquid flows into the can and having a passage for receiving sirupduring the filling operation and for returning sirup into the can afterthe completion of the filling operation, and means for varyingthe-capacity of the passage. I g V 2. A can filling valve for siruperscomprising a movable displacement member adapted to enter a can todetermine a'liquid level therein, a stationary and complementary headmember forming a discharge opening through which liquid flows into thecan and having a passage for receiving sirup during the fillingoperation and for returning sirup into the can after the completion ofthe filling operation, and means for varying the capacity of thepassage.

3. The combination with a can closing and filling valve for sirupershaving a passage adapted to communicate. with a can in filling position,of a venting tube projecting into the passage and communicatingtherewith, said venting tube forming a seal for the passage to preventcommunication of the passage with the atmosphere when the can is infilling position and being always open to the atmosphere at one end andto the can at the other end.

4. The combination with a can closing and filling valve for sirupershaving a passage adapted to communicate With a can in filling position,of a. venting tube projecting into the passage and communicatingtherewith, said venting tube forming a seal for the passage to preventcommunication. of the passage with the atmosphere when the can is infilling position and being always open to the atmosphere at one end andto the can at the other end, and means for varying the effective lengthof tube in said passage to vary the capacity of the passage.

' 5. The combination with a can closing and filling valve for sirupershaving a passa e adapted to communicate with a can in filling position,of a venting tube projecting into the passage and communicatingtherewith,

said venting tub-e forming a seal for the passage to preventcommunication of thepassage with the atmosphere when the can is infilling position and being always open to the atmosphere at one end andto the can at the other end, and means for adjusting the venting tube tovary its length in said passage and thereby vary the capacity of saidpassage.

6. A can filling valve for sirupers comprising a member forming acombination can closing and filling member, a complementary head membercooperating therewith and forming a discharge opening through whichliquid flows into the can, said cooperating head having a hollow stem toprovide a passage adapted to communicatewith a can in filling position,and a venting tube projecting into the passage and communicatingtherewith, said venting tube forming aseal for the passage to preventcommunication of the passage with the atmosphere when the can is infilling position.

7. A can filling valve for sirupers comprising a member forming acombination can closing and filling member, a complementary head membercooperating therewith and forming a discharge opening through whichliquid fiowsinto the can, said cooperating head having a hollow stem toprovide a pas sage adapted to communicate with a can in fillingposition, a venting tube projecting into the passage and communicatingthere- T with, said venting tube forming a seal for the passage. toprevent communication of the assage with the atmosphere when the can isin filling position, and means for varying the efiective length of tubein said passage to vary the capacity of the passage.

8. A can filling valve for sirupers comprising a member forming acombination can" closing and filling member, a complementary head membercooperating therewith and forming a discharge opening thru whichliquid-may flow into the can, one of said mem sage adapted tocommunicate with a can in filling position, and a venting tubeprojecting into the passage and communicating therewith, said ventingtube forming a seal for the passage to prevent communication of tnepassage with the atmosphere when the can is in filling position.

i THURMAN MQGHEE.

. bers havinga hollow stem to provide a pas-

